News briefs 11/20/17

| 11/20/17 1:24am

GVSU reaches agreement with University of the Sunshine Coast

Grand Valley State University and the University of the Sunshine Coast reached an agreement that extends a current charter between the schools for five years. GVSU students will retain the opportunity to study abroad at the university, which is located in Queensland, Australia.

GVSU President Thomas Haas was at USC on Wednesday, Nov. 15, to sign the agreement.

Faculty-produced documentary now available

A documentary about philanthropy produced by Salvatore Alaimo, Grand Valley State University professor of public and nonprofit administration, is available on DVD and Blu-ray. Alaimo’s project is a feature-length documentary with a running time of 86 minutes.

“What Is Philanthropy?" was released by Indiana University Press. The film assesses philanthropy through a critical lens and was an official selection for four festivals and a nominee for an Eclipse Award.

Donating blood could earn you a free turkey

Those in need of a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner have the opportunity to earn one through a coupon from Spartan Nash for individuals who donate blood in West Michigan.

The offer runs until Wednesday, Nov. 22. According to MIichigan Blood, blood donations are increasingly needed during the holiday season. A full list of donation centers can be found at https://www.spartannash.com/give-thanks/.

Students, faculty and staff members can nominate student leaders who they think exemplify great leadership.

Laker Effect Challenge reception to take place

The Laker Effect Challenge reception will take place Thursday, Nov. 30, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Mary Idema Pew Library. The challenge will feature innovative projects spearheaded by Grand Valley State University students, faculty and staff that are designed to solve a current problem.

Seven submissions will be chosen by a panel of judges, who will then award up to $5,000 in prizes to submissions that demonstrate leadership to have a positive impact on the future.

Majority of Michigan public institutions see drops in enrollment

According to a report done by MLive, 10 of the state of Michigan's 15 public universities saw decreases in enrollment for the 2017-2018 academic year. This included Grand Valley State University, which announced enrollment of 25,049, a decrease from a record high of 25,460 in 2016-2017. This is largely attributed to the decrease in size of Michigan high school graduating classes. According to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, high school graduate numbers are expected to dip below 99,000 in the state during the 2019-2020 school year, down from a peak of 123,576 in 2007-2008.